Married women are required by law to obey their husbands by country
This indicator captures whether family law includes any provision requiring a married woman to obey her husband or penalizing her for disobedience, such as loss of maintenance rights.
Countries reporting
172
Highest
1 (1=yes; 0=no)
Angola
Lowest
0 (1=yes; 0=no)
Saudi Arabia
Median
1 (1=yes; 0=no)
Years covered
54
1970–2023
Data points
10,152
What the numbers show
Married women are required by law to obey their husbands is currently reported for 172 countries. The highest value is 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in Angola; the lowest is 0 (1=yes; 0=no) in Saudi Arabia.
The median across all reporting countries is 1 (1=yes; 0=no), and the mean is 0.9884 (1=yes; 0=no).
Married women are required by law to obey their husbands: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angola | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Albania | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 1 | Argentina | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Armenia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Antigua and Barbuda | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Australia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Austria | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Azerbaijan | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Burundi | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Belgium | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Benin | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Burkina Faso | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bangladesh | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bulgaria | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bahamas | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Belarus | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Belize | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bolivia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Brazil | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Barbados | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bhutan | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Botswana | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Central African Republic | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Canada | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Switzerland | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Chile | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | China | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Cote d'Ivoire | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Cameroon | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 1 | Congo | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Colombia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Comoros | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Cape Verde | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Costa Rica | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Cyprus | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Czechia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Germany | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Dominica | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Denmark | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Dominican Republic | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Algeria | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Ecuador | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Eritrea | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Spain | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Estonia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Ethiopia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Finland | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Fiji | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | France | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Micronesia (country) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Gabon | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 1 | United Kingdom | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Georgia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Ghana | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Guinea | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Gambia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Guinea-Bissau | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Greece | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Grenada | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Guatemala | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Guyana | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Hong Kong | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Honduras | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Croatia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Haiti | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Hungary | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Indonesia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | India | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Ireland | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Iceland | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Israel | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Italy | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Jamaica | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Japan | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Kazakhstan | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Kenya | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Kyrgyzstan | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Cambodia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Kiribati | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | South Korea | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Laos | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Lebanon | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Liberia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Libya | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Saint Lucia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Sri Lanka | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Lesotho | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Lithuania | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Luxembourg | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Latvia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Morocco | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Moldova | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Madagascar | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Maldives | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Mexico | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Marshall Islands | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | North Macedonia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Malta | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Myanmar | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Montenegro | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Mongolia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Mozambique | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Mauritius | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Malawi | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Namibia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Niger | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Nigeria | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Nicaragua | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Netherlands | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Norway | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Nepal | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | New Zealand | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Oman | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Pakistan | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Panama | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Peru | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Philippines | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Palau | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Papua New Guinea | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Poland | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Puerto Rico | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Portugal | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Paraguay | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Romania | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Russia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Rwanda | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Senegal | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Singapore | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Solomon Islands | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Sierra Leone | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | El Salvador | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | San Marino | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Somalia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Serbia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | South Sudan | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Sao Tome and Principe | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Suriname | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Slovakia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Slovenia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Sweden | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Eswatini | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Seychelles | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Syria | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 1 | Chad | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Togo | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Thailand | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tajikistan | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | East Timor | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tonga | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tunisia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Turkey | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tanzania | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Uganda | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Ukraine | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Uruguay | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | United States | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Venezuela | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Vietnam | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Vanuatu | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Samoa | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | South Africa | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Zambia | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Zimbabwe | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 171 | Egypt | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 171 | Saudi Arabia | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | 2023 | — | volatile |
About this data
This indicator captures whether family law includes any provision requiring a married woman to obey her husband or penalizing her for disobedience, such as loss of maintenance rights.